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New Scientist Live

NHS game-changers: The rising threat of climate change

By Catherine Brahic

Feeling the heat

(Image: SIPA Press/Rex)

It has been called the single most important public health issue of the 21st century. Climate change is a challenge for UK healthcare, not just because it could bring nasty insect-borne diseases closer to the country’s shores, but because of the way it will exacerbate existing problems, such as the deadly effect of heatwaves, particularly on the elderly.

Average UK temperatures have been rising by about 0.25 °C a decade since the 1960s, and they are projected to be between 2 °C and 5 °C higher still by 2080. Death rates go up in the days following peaks in temperatures and air pollution. Although people rarely die of heatstroke itself, high temperatures can make you more likely to die of an existing heart or lung condition.

Air pollution fluctuates with the weather and temperature. It raises the risk of asthma attacks and pneumonia, which can result in early death. Life-long exposure to pollutants also increases the odds of lung cancer.

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There are things we can do to reduce these risks, besides preparing doctors for changes in the number of patients. For instance, in 2013, the NHS published a heatwave plan with Public Health England, which included provisions for moving certain patients to cool rooms when the weather hots up. You could even envisage municipal cool spaces for pedestrians to cool off in, says Sonia Roschnik of the Sustainable Development Unit, an NHS spin-off that aims to ensure the sustainability of the healthcare system.

Reducing the number of people needing to go to hospital would also help. That could involve things like phone apps that warn you when pollution or pollen levels will be high. Staying in touch with people who become depressed could also help, because climate change is expected to affect mental health. For example, after a flood, displacement and the loss of a home can bring on depression, especially in less-affluent regions. And droughts have been shown to increase depression in those whose livelihoods rely on the weather.

These factors and more are being considered as health professionals and researchers look at how to future-proof healthcare infrastructure. They are, for instance, thinking about how best to build new hospitals and how to make sure existing ones are right for the climate. The wheels are in motion, but so is the warming.